Hi friends and welcome back to another installment of The Media Digest :)
Before we get into the bits of media that I’ve been loving lately, please accept my sincere apologies for no newsletter these past two weeks due to being out of town for a family gathering. However, now that I’m back home, reunited with my laptop and relatively decompressed from all the festivities, I’m eager to catch up with you all!
I can’t recall who said it first but it is widely believed that the best writers are those who read, a lot. And in my quest to strengthen my voice and hone my craft, I’ve been absorbing lots of literature and broadening what I read, going beyond novels and reading the work of other Substack writers, articles on my favorite glossy mag sites, and more! These past few weeks of absorbing great writing advice and encountering new ways of seeing the world and various topics within today’s media landscape, leaves me excited to write more earnestly as Required Reading grows and evolves. So without further ado, here’s what I can’t stop thinking about!
If you caught my last monthly wrap up then you know I have quite a few books on my nightstand that I’ve been meaning to read— not to mention my list of arcs that I’ve been working through at a snail’s pace. However, me and my personal library have yet to “kiss and make up” (aka I’m still dealing with the worst reading slump) and in its place I’ve been reading lots of articles and personal essays. Found primarily through the notes section of the Substack app— the sites equivalent to Instagram’s explore page, I have discovered some amazing new-to-me writers, thinkers and creatives, whose mastery of language has inspired me to write with greater authenticity and depth. And as a result, I’m feeling reinvigorated and more dedicated to my writing practice. Listed below are a few of my recent reads that have stayed with me since the moment I first encountered them.
Ross Kelly’s Home
In Home, Kelly explores his relationship with his hometown in Ireland, juxtaposed against the new home he’s created for himself living in London over the past year. Kelly writes: “I have shed the skin of my home town without realizing, becoming so accustomed to my new city and my new home that I have forgotten how to entirely exist in the same place I have existed for the majority of my life.”
While reading the article, I felt some of my own feelings mirrored back toward me regarding my decision to leave LA to pursue graduate studies abroad, and how I feel much more at home amongst the hustle and bustle of London as opposed to any other place I’ve previously called home. There’s a unique dichotomy in having appreciation for the places that have shaped and molded your younger self yet knowing that they are no longer aligned with the current version of one’s self. I definitely recommend this article to anyone experiencing growing pains as they navigate the early stages of adult life in their twenties…
HNWROTE’s taking accountability for your desire(s)
What is your relationship to sacrifice and commitment? is the question Hailey asks in her recent article, taking accountability, in which she reflects on her own answer through the lens of opting to return to her childhood home for a year. She notes that through playing the comparison game with her peers while scrolling social media and seeing how different her life looked, it was easy to “become unsatisfied with [her] life, because [it] felt like there was something more that was meant to be happening.” Which I found to be extremely relatable as I watch my friends launch their respective careers, while I have opted for a year of post-grad “gardening leave”— which is essentially a gap year. However, Hailey goes on to say, these feelings of discontent often arise because we are equating our expectations to our desires. And when we get caught up in living in accordance with ideals and goals that are not our own, it is easy to veer off of our unique and individual paths.
The biggest takeaway for me is how important it is to get clear about what you want out of your life. And when you figure that out, to then decide what you’re willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your desires. If you’re in need of a change in perspective, I would certainly set aside time to read the article in its entirety…
Blessing Maraizu’s #32: do we need people?
Maraizu’s do we need people? questions the sustainability of a “growing sentiment on the internet… that [argues] we do not need anyone, and we can go through life on our own.” And in a society that is becoming increasingly individualistic, I thought this article was a timely reminder on the importance of community. Mairazu references recent Twitter discourse on “whether or not it was okay to request that your friend pick you up from the airport when ride-sharing apps like Uber and Bolt exist.” While reading I was reminded of a tiktok I saw a couple months back, where the creator argues in defense of what she calls “the small favors economy.” In her video, Amelia argues that rather than rely on one’s community for favors, we’re all convinced we can manage everything on our own, and so we don’t ask for help for fear of inconveniencing someone else.
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And while I’m unsure if the Twitter discourse was sparked by the video being brought to the platform or if dual discourse was taking place concurrently, but I could see the through line connecting both creatives. Both are asking us to revaluate our relationship with the larger friend and family groups we find ourselves members of. Maraizu asks, “is individualism, this idea that we are self-reliant and can be a one-man army, more important than the communal good?” And it reminded me of a passage from All About Love by bell hooks, where she writes:
“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
Some days it feels as though we have forgotten that good things, like love and friendship, requires work. And furthermore that love is an action word that we must put into practice. Which at times can be inconveniencing, yes, but you show up anyways. Because that’s what you do for the people you love. “We should expect more of our friends and they should expect more of us. And we can only expect more if we do more.” Maraizu gave plenty to consider or shall I say, reconsider, when evaluating the ways I show up for the people that I love, and the ways I have inadvertently and unintentionally dropped the ball without realizing how it has hindered the growth of my friendships and familial bonds — both chosen and inherited. I will surely revisit this article in the future.
In honor of Black Music Month, NPR Music themed all of their June ‘tiny desk concerts’ around powerhouse female vocalists within the Black community. June’s artist lineup included artists such as Chaka Khan, SWV, Kierra Sheard, Meshell Ndegeocello, Tems and more!
Of the 9 concerts, my favorite was SWV’s, as “Weak” is arguably one of the greatest R&B songs of all time. Many of the artists featured this month, were songstresses that I grew up listening to by way of my parents’ impeccable music taste, or that I found way before I really knew what I was singing about (LOL) but that I knew immediately were amazing displays of musical talent. The concert series was such a beautiful celebration of the contributions of Black women to the canon of great music. I would definitely recommend catching up via NPR music’s YouTube channel!
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This year, I’m committed to tackling my Letterboxd watchlist and truly embody being a film girly. The first step is getting my “to-be-watched” list down to a reasonable number— its currently sits at 229 films, and I want to cut it by half by the end of the year. The first film on my list to watch was Because I Said So (2007) starring Mandy Moore, Diane Keaton and Gabriel Macht.
Now I love a good rom-com, so I had high hopes based on the trailer but I did not love this one as much as I expected to. The film stars Mandy Moore as Milly, the youngest of three daughters to Diane Keaton’s Daphne. The movie opens up with a montage of Milly’s older sister’s, Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae’s (Piper Perabo), respective wedding receptions, and with Milly regarded as the sister who needs the most help and direction when it comes to her love life (and life in general). Daphne, who is approaching a milestone birthday and avoiding her feelings regarding it, decides to throw her energy into trying to find Milly a future husband behind her back by taking out a personal ad and interviewing potential candidates before orchestrating a “meet cute” with her top choice and her daughter. Whilst on these pre-dates, Daphne meets two men: Jason, an up and coming architect who seems perfect on paper, and Johnny (Gabriel Macht) a musician and teacher who plays live at the establishment where she holds these vetting meet-ups. Daphne isn’t impressed by Johnny and his “gorgeous musician who will break her heart” vibe, so when he offers to take Milly out on a date, saying “I like you, and I have an odd instinct that I’d like her too,” Daphne makes blanket assumptions about his character and declines his request arguing that “she has to do what’s best for her daughter” despite Milly and her sister’s asking that she give Milly space to make her own decisions.
I spent the majority of the film wishing Daphne would give Milly space to breathe, hoping for more of Maggie and Mae’s relationship with Milly, and their respective marriages— Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo were, in general, underused within the narrative, and that we spent more time focused on Milly’s happy ending rather than everyone else’s. I think had the film spent more time exploring the coming of age thread regarding standing up for yourself, through the lens of mother-daughter relationships, I would have enjoyed it more. But in the hopes of keeping this review spoiler-free, should you feel inclined to watch the movie yourself, I will refrain from explaining the remaining plot points and say check it out— then come back and share your thoughts in the comments. Maybe you’ll like it more than I did and have an interesting point of view, which, I’d love to hear all about!
And if there’s any rom-com’s you feel like I need to watch, let me know below!
My rating: 2/5 stars | Letterboxd average rating: 2.6/5 stars
On a recent road trip, I found myself with a ton of free time on the open road and decided it was the perfect opportunity to catch up on a few recent releases from my favorite artists. The three albums that stood out as quick favorites were:
Lizzy McAlpine’s five seconds flat (2022)
album favorites score: 9 songs out of 14 | runtime: 45 mins
I, like much of the Internet, fell in love with ceilings when it went viral on tiktok a couple years ago and found myself listening to it nonstop. Then last spring, I discovered erase me (ft. Jacob Collier) from the same project and kept it on repeat. But in all that time, I had never sought to go track by track until last week. Of the album’s 14 songs, 9 of them have solidified themselves as new favorites to play whenever I’m feeling moody or nostalgic or even, just a bit sad. And can we talk about that final five track run?? Nothing short of genius. Hate to be lame (ft. FINNEAS) is simply captivating in its lyricism, instrumentation and production. Plus FINNEAS’ verse is so, so beautiful. Every time I listen, I can’t stop rewinding just to hear it again once it’s over. Also the final song of the album, orange show speedway— omg!? the way high school me with all her big feelings, teen angst, and wayward crushes would’ve ran that song into the ground LOL
There is such a distinct honesty in her lyrics which makes her songs feel like I’m listening to diary entries. It’s fun, it’s honest, it’s introspective, and it’s a little sad— all of the necessary ingredients for a good folk/indie pop album imo. I might be late to the game, but Ms. McAlpine you have a forever fan out of me! Plus, Lizzy’s an east coast girl like myself and from Philly like my mum’s side, so she’s practically family.
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Brent Faiyaz’s Larger Than Life (2023)
album favorites score: 11 songs out of 14 | runtime: 36 mins
Then, I listened to Brent Faiyaz’s latest. Which beyond hearing snippets of songs like Best Time and Upset (ft. Tommy Richman and FELIX!) on social media, I hadn’t interacted with much of his recent release. However, since rectifying this oversight, I probably listen to this album at least once a day. Starting the project off with a track produced by Timbaland definitely had my hopes and expectations high during my first listen, and Brent did not disappoint. There were some great tracks and features— such as Missy Elliot, A$AP Rocky, Babyface Ray and more on this album. But the highlight for me was track 6, Moment of Your Life (ft. Coco Jones). Brent is the king of toxic love songs but every once in a while, he drops a real ‘4 Page Letter’ to your lover type joint and this song is that. And getting Coco for the feature, was the perfect accompaniment. The song has a distinctly early aughts R&B sound to it, that is made stronger by their duet. It sounds like the early stages of a relationship, and it makes me want to be boo’d up— word to Ella Mai. All of which is my personal benchmark for a good love song: does it make me want to be in love right now? And MOYL has those vibes in spades.
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Kehlani’s Crash (2024)
album favorite score: 6 songs out of 14 | runtime: 43 mins
Lastly, I listened to Crash by Kehlani. Now Kehlani’s music and I go way back. I’m talking ‘listening to the Cloud 19 mixtape on Soundcloud’ back. And it’s been amazing to watch her really cement herself in the R&B space, and hear her sound grow and evolve over time. And if you were to ask me what my favorite Kehlani project is, I would say hand’s down: It Was Good Until It Wasn’t (2020). This album always transports me to the summer it came out. It was moody, flirty and sexy and I love every song. In a recent tiktok, Kehlani said that Crash is like IWGUIW’s sexier big sister so I’ve been eager to see how that would translate sonically for me.
Of the tracks I couldn’t stop running back, my top tracks were Next 2 U, After Hours, and Crash.
Next 2 U is a very “I’ll be your protector” coded track. On this track Kehlani tells her lover that what they share is so strong, nothing (and no one) can come between it. The production on the track is really strong and I get why it was released as one of the album’s singles, also the video is gorgeous.
“They gon’ have to come get me/
They gon’ have to see about me/
To get next to you”
This energy or nothing!
And my 2nd favorite, After Hours is the perfect summertime club/rooftop bar banger. It makes me want to get dolled up, grab my girls, sip on a fruity drink and go dancing. Just good vibes the entire time I’m listening to it. And it’s already been added to my ‘dancing on my own’ playlist for all my solo dance party needs!
The more I listen to the album, the more it grows on me and I’m excited to make memories I’ll remember for a lifetime with these songs as the soundtrack!
If you made to the end of this week’s newsletter, I hope that you’ve found a new read, watch or listen that will open your mind, make you laugh or bring you some joy. Additionally, my hope is that you’ve found another artist’s/writer’s work to support and follow! If you found any new favorites, leave a comment or DM, I love getting to chat with you all :) And as always, thank you for reading! Talk soon!
xx gabi
thank u so much for the shoutout love 🩷
Thank you so much for the shoutout and your added insights. What a wonderful piece!